Solution includes bank and non-bank cards with identification and characters in Braille. more security and more privacy.
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SIBS develops the first inclusive card for visually impaired people certified by ACAPO – Associação dos Cegos e Psambliopes de Portugal, so that they can use this instrument in a more autonomous, safe and private way.
This SIBS solution includes bank and non-bank cards with identification and characters in Braille, and will allow blind and low vision users to distinguish the various types of card by type of use.
It is a proprietary technology and solution developed by SIBS, which are now available to all its customers and partners, in Portugal and abroad, who wish to include this solution in their offer.
“It is with pride that, after almost two years of development and improvement of the project, we are once again agents of change, ensuring the use of cards autonomously, privately and securely, in payment terminals and ATMs, by a blind or partially sighted person”, says Gonçalo Campos Alves, General Director of SIBS Cartão.
Challenge still unanswered
The project to identify inclusive cards for visually impaired people responds to a challenge already identified by ACAPO, but for which there was still no effective response.
This challenge was assumed by SIBS, within the scope of the Sustainability program “Verde-Código-Verde”, and in line with its purpose of developing solutions with an impact on everyday life and creating value for the communities where it is present, promoting a society fairer and more equitable.
“This project is an important step not only for people who are blind or have low vision, and for everyone who is closest to them, but also for raising awareness in the community about the importance of equal and accessible access for all. In this way, a greater number of entities will be able to adopt inclusive practices in their daily lives, both for the information they produce and for the relationship with their customers” says Rodrigo Santos, President of the National Board of ACAPO.
With this solution, anyone will be able to identify both the type of card – bank, loyalty, access or other; debit, credit, prepaid, among others in the case of bank cards – as the issuing entity, with full autonomy, privacy and security.
The inclusion of Braille on the cards thus complements the cutter launched in 2018, a cut made on the card in the shape of a half moon that allows blind people or people with low vision to identify the correct side to use it.
Currently, in Portugal, 23,396 people cannot see and 3.7% of the population has great difficulty in performing this task.
Partnership with ACAPO
With nearly 20 years of experience, SIBS Cartão’s mission is to create value for its stakeholders by developing solutions for secure and innovative cards that promote principles with a positive impact on the environment and society.
Following this commitment, in addition to the launch of the cutter in 2018, SIBS Cartão was a pioneer in the launch of Eco PVC cards, making this instrument more sustainable, and, more recently, in 2021, a card composed of 100% recycled PVC, allowing to significantly reduce the impact on the environment.
This new project comes in partnership with ACAPO, a Private Institution of Social Solidarity founded on October 20, 1989 whose mission is to represent visually impaired citizens, providing them with services suited to their needs and raising society’s awareness of their inclusion.
